Pac-12 football: Coaches on the hot (or warm) seat … there are quite a few

Wanted to get this posted before the Pac-12 season starts … err, before any Pac-12 teams face FBS competition.

The intent is not to predict which coaches might get fired during or after the season. Rather, it’s to highlight just how few coaches should feel comfortable — fewer, in fact, that I can remember at any time in the past four or five years.

That makes sense when you consider there’s more pressure on the coaches than ever before because there’s more money involved than ever before:

More money earned for the school through winning … more money not earned for the school through losing … and more money paid to the coaches.

That said, my guess is that I have a few coaches on the cool seat that many fans would put on the warm seat. For instance: Cal’s Jeff Tedford.

For all the pressure to win, terminating a coach remains a costly step in many respects.

*** Cold seat

Defined as: Coach in no danger of getting fired for on-field performance.

Colorado’s Jon Embree. First-year coach at his alma mater.

Stanford’s David Shaw: See Embree.

Utah’s Kyle Wittingham: 34-6 the past 3+ seasons speaks for itself. Few coaches in the nation are safer.

Washington’s Steve Sarkisian: With the bowl win and new contract, he has nothing to worry about … at least for a few months.

*** Cool seatDefined as: Things could get a tad uncomfortable with a bad season.

USC’s Lane Kiffin: Working in his favor: Which established coach would want the job starting next season, when the scholarship wallop begins?

Cal’s Jeff Tedford: He’s done so much for the program it’s near-impossible to see the Bears cutting him loose before moving into the new facilities — facilities that were built in part because of his on-field success .

Oregon State’s Mike Riley: Should have received key to Corvallis City Hall long ago. Seat just starting to turn cool after last year’s sub-.500 season.

*** Warm seatDefined as: Coach in danger of moving onto the hot seat if his team does not earn a bowl berth, or getting fired if his team collapses … or getting fired if his program is found guilty of major NCAA infractions.

Arizona’s Mike Stoops: Two awful bowl showings and 2010 late-season collapse have moved Stoops from cold to cool to warm seat in just two years.

Oregon’s Chip Kelly: What if Ducks must fire Kelly to avoid crippling sanctions? Only Knight knows.

*** Hot seatDefined as: Coach in serious danger of dismissal if his team does not earn a bowl berth.

Arizona State’s Dennis Erickson: Hasn’t gone bowling since 2007 and soaring expectations this season will only make a postseason whiff look that much worse.

UCLA’s Rick Neuheisel: Bruins are less successful and less relevant than under Karl Dorrell (think about that for a minute). This winter might be the right time for a fresh face with USC entering scholarship hell.

Washington State’s Paul Wulff: 2-11. 1-11. 2-10. If Cougars stumble from the gate, he might not make it to Halloween.

I think Tedfurd’s seat is warmer than you think JW. Tonight was a positive indication that he might be OK, but if Cal finishes 4-8 there will be a lot of alumni whose PSLs are going to pay for that new stadium calling for a new HC.

nedbear

I think today showed that the PAC-12 overall looks pretty bad with the exceptions of stanfurd, ASU and Washington State. Everyone else looked like caca. Hopefully it’s just first day jitters, but I don’t know…

alchemist

UCLA should spend that new ESPN/Fox money and make a run at Urban Meyer. Less pressure in Pac than in SEC, recruiting hotbed will require minimal time away from family, nice place to live and he can make Lane Kiffin’s life miserable. It’s almost too perfect.

Calfan

I like Boise State’s coach. UCLA should make a move for that guy.

alchemist

Calfan:

He went to UC Davis and I think his family’s all in northern California. I figured you folks would make a run at him once Tedford’s thrown out.

Woj

I don’t think Cal underachieved at all today. 36-21 over Fresno is a nice win. I thought the game vs. Fresno was a 50/50 deal before the game. Cal basically has no home games this year, an unproven QB at the helm, little confidence since last season was so horribly lousy, and no RB to speak of. Their O-line is young too.

And despite all this, the D looked great (2 of Fresno’s TDs were due to Cal turnovers), the team did not quit where times got tough, and the QB made plays which has not happened in half a decade for Cal.

and yes, I’d much rather have Chris Petersen as the next Cal head coach than Tedford who should be canned if this season turns out anywhere close to last season’s 5-7 debacle with 4 or 5 blowout team has quit losses. That shellacking to Stanford cannot happen again or Tedford should be done!

OT

I had Cal going 4-8 with wins against Presbyterian, Utah, Washington State, and at UCLA.

Perhaps Cal has a shot at 6-6 (and a shot at the Vegas Bowl, San Francisco Bowl, or New Mexico Bowl) now that Fresno State has been dispatched. Cal needs to beat Oregon State at home to get there.

Cal needs to prove that it can win on the road. The game next week at Colorado will be interesting.

Sacramento Blue

I thought Cal exceeded expectations. I was concerned about Fresno and agreed with Jon’s prediction that the Bulldogs would cover and possibly win. Instead it was a pretty solid thumping.

The game was obviously very sloppy at points and that needs to be fixed ASAP. There is a reason people refer to “mid season form”. But Cal moved the ball well and I love the mobile QB. The defense was a rock and should be among the best in the conference.

http://.wwwelectricalan.com the electricalan

My Houston Cougars helped make the point to fire Rick Neuheisel. Your kids are bigger and faster than ours, but they didn’t have the will to win. He either recruits talented slackers or is worse than the last two coaches we fired. I think he isn’t a good college head coach. I don’t think you can get the Boise coach or Urban Meyer, but you should start looking this week. Except when you play us I root for y’all, beat SC.

TommyCoug

Enough Jon W. and others on Paul Wulff…get a new gig!!

Paul Wulff and the Wazzu Cougs are back…and Wulff’s stature at WSU is preserved…not because we blew out a bad team in Idaho State, but because he has been building the program back the “very right way”!!

We will play far better teams than this weekend….however, we also beat them using our 2nd (at best) string 5th year senior QB for a couple of quarters…because Jeff Tuel was ill before the game started and should not have played. Then did and broke his left clavicle…and out 4-6 weeks.

I told ya to look out for the Cougs this year…I will stand behind that prediction…just as long as we don’t lose many more starters.

GO COUGS!!…GO PAC-12!!

Trojan4Ever

No one should get too excited after one game (except Oregon State, who lost to who???). It takes two or three games to really find out how good or poor a team will be. Everyone take a deep breath… and now exhale.. Relax and enjoy!

TrueTrojan AKA TrueSpartan

There is not much to say. The mighty Trojans will always be the mighty Trojans. A victory is a victory.

GO USC!

Paul

It’s been 4 yrs now Neuheisel. We need a fresh face in Westwood. Thoughts people?